Wednesday, April 27, 2011

No pictures yet, but I've just heard that Mac is releasing a collection of eyeshadows and lipglosses designed and named by 10 beauty bloggers! Personally I can't wait to hear more about this, I think the importance and value of beauty bloggers is really starting to show to the major cosmetic companies out there. I'll let you all know when I get more information about this collection. In the mean time, Mac has released two other collections- Fashion Flower and Quite Cute. Neither interested me personally nor does the coming Surfer collection, but I'm sure I'll get Mac frenzy again soon. :D

~Hebridean Sprite~

Some of the bloggers involved are Afrobella, Temptalia, Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog, Karlasugar, and The Makeup Girl (.net) Lianne.

Lately, on a quick run in to the grocery store I spotted Joe Fresh's Liquid Liner Pen, a felt tip thin black liner. This Pen was only $6 so I thought I'd give it a try as I like other Joe Fresh products and I've been wanting to try a liquid felt-tip liner pen for a while. There were a couple other shades such as a light brown and a dark olive green but I chose basic black for a fifties sort of look. I was hoping to create a cat eye.

One of the best things about this liner is the felt-tip. It's got a really fine tip so I can easily do a thin line along my lashes. The sort of matte area of the plastic makes the pen easy to grip and it's not too difficult to create a bolder line as well. I was a little worried the liquid wouldn't reach all the way to the very tip of the felt end but it did. Yay.

Now for the bad news. First up is that this needs to be stored horizontally, which is a pain, though one I could live with if not for this liner's other faults. Though the pigmentation isn't bad, it isn't the blackest black out there, but again, I could live with this.

The main issue I have with this product is the lasting power. It has very little. It never fully 'set' meaning when I rubbed my eye a little later it came off some on my finger. Also, by the end of the day this liner was completely gone on my one eye and only faintly visible on my other eye. It didn't fade evenly and instead of disappearing, it instead migrated to my already dark under eye circles. Can anyone say major transfer issues?! I didn't even leave the house yesterday when I tried this liner! Sheesh! I suppose it may last longer with a primer underneath but I don't really like pushing primer up that close to my lash line, plus if my eyes watered at all (as they like to do, especially during allergy season) I have a feeling this liner would be a lost cause.

On top of this, the liner only hold 1 ml of product. What a pathetically small amount!

Sprite Rating: 2/10- The only good thing is the low price tag and the fact the felt-tip liner is decent.

Would I buy this again? NO! Not worth even the $6 CND. I want my makeup to last!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

These Multiplex 3D lipglosses by Lorac are some of my favourite glosses. I've got three of them though there are 6 in the main line (I think there is one other shade which is only available in a kit). The one pictured above is Cliche.

Top to Bottom: Untamed, Vivid, Cliche

This photo really lets you see what I love most about these glosses, the amazing 3D effect duochrome and depth! Cliche (the bottom swatch) is a hot pink with a heavy purple-blue reflect; Vivid is the prettiest warm pink with a lime-gold heavy reflect (way way prettier and more flattering than it sounds!) and Untamed is a stunning coral shade with major pink and orange shimmers. (This shimmer didn't show up well on camera however. Click the photos to see them larger for a better idea.)

All three of these make my lips look slightly larger due to the super shine and colour shift. I love the look of these on! So pretty!

Warmer light

Medium indoor lighting

Best view of Untamed's sparkle

Another awesome thing about these glosses is how incredible they smell! They smell like mangos and passionfruit and tropical paradise! Seriously, I've opened these up and held them out to friends and had them smell these lipglosses because they smell so incredible! The scent once on does fade however, if you aren't a fan of the scent. (Honestly though, I don't see how you could dislike it, unless maybe you don't like fruit.)

These are fairly non-sticky on, though your hair will stick in it if it happens to fly in your mouth. The disappointment for these however is in the wear and the price for me. I get maybe two-three hours of wear out of these, though the duochrome/3D effect usually only lasts one. Cliche however, for some reason stains my lips hot pink so even though the gloss may fade, the hot pink will stick around for quite awhile afterwards. Neither of the other shades I have stain.

L-R: Cliche, Untamed, Vivid

The tubes for the gloss are good quality, sealing well and able to take quite a beating (as is evidenced in the photo of mine above!) It's important to note though that the holographic silver band around the top and the lettering scratches and wears off really easily.

The applicator for these is one of my favourites. It's a small, dense lip brush that really applies the gloss well with excellent control. Just note though that in the new gloss the bristles (plastic) haven't been snapped apart yet, you'll need to bend the tip of the applicator a bit to loosen them up the first time you use it.

The Tubes! L-R: Cliche, Untamed, Vivid

My favourite shade has to be Vivid. Vivid is so unique and looks stunning on everyone without being too out there. Though the green may scare you off, it doesn't look green on, only gold, unless you're looking at the tube from about five inches away.

These cost a cringe-worthy $22 USD for 0.17 oz of product. In Canada it's even more- $29 CND, making it with tax over $30 dollars, which is enough to make me faint when I add up the cost of the three I own (though I did buy two during a sale thank god!). On the plus side though, I've had my Vivid over a year now and it hasn't gone bad or off in anyway so they last quite well.

Overall I love these glosses and would recommend them to anybody, but they are most certainly an indulgence. They aren't really a wearing around the house gloss due to the price but they do look fantastic, plus there are multiple shades that'll suit all skintones.

Sprite Rating- 7/10 Lost points due to poor lasting power, and price. The colours are amazing though!

Would I buy these again? Yes, I would (as you can see I have three!) but, as they're expensive I doubt I'll get too many more.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Illamasqua is having an Easter Sale this weekend! You can get 20% off, and receive a free (non-animal hair) eye liner brush with a 100 British pound purchase. The code to use at checkout is EASTER20

You don't need to spend over100 pounds to receive the discount, but you do need to be over 100 (after discount!) to get the free liner brush. I've heard good things about their brushes so this seems like a good way to try them!

The offer ends 9am Tuesday morning so you need to make you decisions before then! Happy Easter :D

Hey everyone! Just wanted to post this quick coupon for Physician's Formula Brand. If you live in the U.S.A. you can get $5 off any Physician's Formula full size product. Just Click Here and Print! This is a great deal as PF is a wonderful brand. I'm planning on doing a review of their gel liners soon.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

If you haven't heard about the Bath and Body Works Wallflowers before, it's about time you have! As some of you mentioned wanting a few non-cosmetic items, here is my first review.

These nifty little things are scents you screw into different decorative plugs before inserting it into an electrical socket. The plugs heat up the scent and the entire room smells of fragrance!
I love these things, not only do they work wonderfully, but the scents are potent and they last a long time too. Plus they are always coming out with new plug designs and scents.

Here are some of the new spring Wallflower plugs:

The scents come in little glass vials with a infused 'wick' that is inserted into the plug when you screw them on. I have had a slight issue when the scent runs out (they last a fairly long time- more than 2 months), in that because they've been heated up the plug can be a bit gunky. This is easily fixed though by unplugging it and using a damp cloth.

They are kind of expensive, in that the plugs average around $7 CND and the scents for two vials are around $15 CND for two. However, they often have deals or sales involved for many scents and plugs so it's not that bad in the end. Not to mention how nice it is to come home to a nice smelling room. (I find these perfect for my townhouse at school, very relaxing!)

Here are some of my favourite scents available:

Pineapple Orchid (Bath and Body Works)

Caribbean Salsa (Bath and Body Works)

I also like how cheerful the plugs look on the wall with the pretty little scent vial so nicely beneath.

Sprite Rating: 9/10

Overall, these are long lasting, pretty, potent and there is a ton of variety! The only point lost was due to the slight gunk issue on the plugs after a vial is finished sometimes.

Would I buy these again? Yes! I adore them, especially while away at school. Having something smell nice day after day greet me as I enter the room makes these totally worth it!

Bath and Body Works Wallflowers are currently on for a deal. You can get a little carton of 4 different scents for $20 (USD?) and they have a mix and match deal on the plugs and some scents- buy 4 for $20 or 6 for $24.

Two bottles of Peach Nectar! Couldn't believe how different they were!

As most of you know, I've been on the look out for a light orange/peach pastel shade of polish and I recently found one at my local Rexall. Revlon's Peach Nectar, a really soft peach shade. However, the colour varies a LOT from bottle to bottle as seen above. These are both bottles of Peach Nectar and one of them is way way pinker than the other, as I'm sure you can see. I got the peachier one (on the left).

Unfortunately, this polish was awful formula-wise. Above is four coats. It didn't self-level, it was streaky to apply, it was incredibly sheer and really needed a fifth coat (I got fed-up and just left it at four). The only good thing I can say about it is that it lasted well on the nail once it was applied- almost 5 whole days before chipping. It's almost a jelly finish instead of a cream really, but honestly it was a pain to apply.

The colour itself is lovely, a pretty and subtle spring peach pastel shade. Almost nude, but not quite.

Sprite Rating: 4/10. For the price of the polish ($6 CND) and the lack of performance in application I just can't justify it. Nice colour, and it lasts well but if it look bad on then why wear it!?

Would I buy this again? No!! If I could I'd return it, so I'm still on the look out for a nice peach shade.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

These are such a unique type of gloss- they're matte finish! I love the look of them, but they're really really mint flavoured. So mint flavoured I'd be worried about burning on my lips and in my eyes if I applied these to my lips! I like mint, but I'm not too sure about these. If any of you have tried them, please let me know if the mint is an issue, or how the wear is. They look lovely in the swatches, and I like the giant pencil packaging. What do you think?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Just a quick swatch post for you all. These are the two new Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner. These have a felt tip application method with a hard plastic case, and cost $20 USD.

There are two shades, a navy and a dark brown. I found even after I shook the pens I really needed to press to get any liquid to come down and that these didn't really apply all that well as can be seen above in the patchy application. I was hoping for a felt-tip with a really easy to apply thin line, but I'm obviously still on the hunt. Are there any pen felt-tip liquid liners you really like? Let me know!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Lately the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes have been getting a ton of press because of their high pigmentation, longevity and range of shades. So, I decided while I was in my local Sephora to swatch all the shades for you :D. If you're interested in my review on these blushes you can give it a read here.

There are eight shades in total as can be seen in the first photo, here are the first four.

Tipsy is a peachy coral shade. It has a bit more of an orange shade to it than blissful in my opinion. Matte texture.

Flush is a bright grape shade. Matte texture and really pigmented as well.

Natural Beauty is a bright red-raspberry. Also matte and super pigmented.

And here are the second half!

Top to Bottom: Amused, Blissful, Exposed, Doll Face

Left to Right: Amused, Blissful, Exposed, Doll Faced

Amused is a bright blue-based pink (brighter than it appears here), very pigmented as well. Matte.
Blissful is a super lovely pinky-coral shade. This is the one I bought, and I adore the natural flush it gives. Matte texture, and quite pigmented as well.
Exposed is a matte tan shade, perfect for a neutral blush or conturing.
Doll Faced is a light pink. Least pigmented of all the shades but still a decent amount, as all these blushes are full of colour.

When I was at my Sephora recently, I was able to swatch the new(ish) Josie Maran Argan Eye Love You Too eyeshadow palette, the second of her pressed eyeshadow palettes infused with argan oil to help the skin.

Very green themed!

Top Row, Left to Right. Yes the shade that looks green shows up brown. Weird.

I think the one shade is a duochrome but honestly I can't tell. It looks green in the pan but goes on brown- however it doesn't have a colour shift to it on the skin that I can tell. I just found the shadow strange.

Bottom row, Left to Right.

I found these shades less pigmented than the previous palette though there are many more earth toned shades in this one. They also didn't leave that buttery, soft feeling on my skin afterwards that the previous palette did. Overall I was disappointed, many of the shades I found needed multiple swipes to show up and they had quite a bit of fallout too.

Sorry the photos aren't brighter, but I just couldn't do any better inside the Sephora store- the SA were already looking at me strangely as it was!

All the shades together

Overall, wouldn't (and didn't) buy it though the colours are nice and neutral enough for everyday wear. If you do end up getting it you'll have to tell me your impressions of it, I'd love to see how they compare to my initial findings of the palette in store.

If there are any colours that you really wished you'd picked up from RBL and didn't get the chance now is the time to take action! By voting you can choose 2 colours you'd like to see available again from RBL through their website. Personally I fell in love with their Tudor Housewives collection so I choose Anne and Catherine but their are a ton of great shades to choose from including 360 which I've pictured above. You can vote yourself HERE! :D Vote quick though because the poll is only open for 48 hours!

Friday, April 15, 2011

These are just the smallest squeezes from the tubes. Way too much for one use! You'd have to be really careful when squeeze to only get the smallest amount of product out.

L-R: Laguna, Super Orgasm, Orgasm, Copacabana

I think I'm too pale for most of these except Copacabana, but other than that I think these are just too pigmented to really use effectively. Though if you like these and have used them well, let me know!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

If any of you are interested in buying anything from Sephora there is 15% off April 15-21 for BIs and 14-21 for VIBs. Making a cart beforehand of stuff is a good idea so you can get your items before they run out of stock. Here are some of the great offerings I'd personally consider available at Sephora right now!

EDIT: Sephora being stupid, has decided that Canadians can only use this in store, not online. Why? No one has a clue. So those items that aren't available in store and only online for Canadians we're just out of luck. *Grr*

Monday, April 11, 2011

Marcelle (another Canadian brand) has also released there new Spring Collection, Paradisia. Like Annabelle, Marcelle has released two lipglosses one orange and the other hot pink. There is also an all over face powder (shimmery) and two eyeshadows. I love the patterning on the powders and they are solid colours all the way through.

Laguna eyeshadow

Face Shimmery Powder

Next up is the new Cashmere Bronzers from Physician's Formula.

Though there were no testers and therefore I couldn't tell if the non-bronzer colour went all the way through the powder or not, the patterning and the packaging is beautiful. It's a faux suede with a tassel and it's just so gosh darn pretty! If I was a bronzer girl I'd totally be after this one. It costs $19.99 CND.